The National People's army (german: Nationale Volksarmee or NVA) was created on march 1, 1956, six months after the formation of the west german Bundeswehr. The NVA of course had its own répertoire of marches, seven of them are in this album. The Grosser Zapfenstreich (grand tattoo) is a military ceremony performed in Germany. It takes place in the evening hours and consists of a military formation including one military band, two platoons of armed infantrymen and two lines of soldiers carrying torches. In 1990, the NAVA was disbanded and its marches disappeared. Sometimes, Bundeswehr bands play some of these marches.